Zero Cipher
by Leonas
Summary: When a deal is struck, it's all about the wording.
1. Deal Struck

Everything around him burned.

Everything he had built was destroyed.

Everything that had been achieved was tripped from him.

He was being deleted from the very world, and there was nothing he could do about it. So he called out desperately to something even greater than himself. A desperate prayer to an ancient power. A bid to return. Even if it meant a time with another form.

It was just his luck that not only had his own prayer been heard, but that another desperate heart had called to their own equally ancient power and had been heard in turn. Powers mixed and mingled as two prayers were answered as one. Thus as one era ended, another was allowed to be born.

* * *

When Bill became aware of the world around him, he first thought that he was back in the nightmare realm. Back in the place he called home. However there was too much order here. Which lead him to his next conclusion. He was in someone's dream. Close enough to one's mindscape that it showed who they were, yet far enough away that he had influence over it. Though within seconds he realized influence was all he would have.

Bill was far weaker than he had ever been. If he had to guess he had maybe a fraction of a fraction of the power he had BEFORE wierdmageddon. That was fine though. That just meant he had to start small. Something he had done many a time before. So no worries. He just had to scope out his first target.

With that he truly took in the dreamscape around him. It filled him with a sense of nostalgia. With in the void of the dream floated books. Thick texts of knowledge hoarded for their contents. With a glance and a tiny flex of his miniscule power he saw into them. Culture, history, etiquette, and magic. Oh there was much about magic. Not just small rituals either. Oh no. This was big time mage craft. Theories and equations that turned the art of the spell into a science. He could use that.

He looked closer at the books and their contents. He was distantly reminded of his previous pawn, Stanford Pines. This was clearly someone who sought out knowledge where ever it hid. However, unlike old Sixer, they didn't do it for the sake of knowledge. No most of this information was on rules and regulations. What one was expected to do. How one was meant to act. How to use the rules to get and/or keep what you wanted. This was someone who sought control, and planned to do it from the inside. THIS he could exploit.

"What is this place?" A young girls voice called into the void.

Ah, that meant it was showtime. His soon to be pawn was now aware of her whereabouts. Appearing before the dreamer was simple, AND let him take a look at what soon be his new body. Girl before him looked quite young. Early teens perhaps. Maybe a little older if she was a late bloomer. The pink hair was unexpected, but not too new to him. Even if it was her natural hair color. The way she attempted to rally after the surprise of his arrival, as well as the stance and tone, confirmed that she not only had need to look like she was in control, but also that she was likely a noble of some sort. Which would explain all the etiquette and courtly knowledge.

So he was dealing with a young noble with control issues? Perfect.

"You are in the place where the great become the greatest. Where genius is given its due. Where only the mightest in mind and spirit may tread. My domain. The place of dreams." He announced then with a snap of his fingers a teapot appeared with a matching cup and saucer. "Tea?"

In a daze the young noble accepted his hospitality and even sat in a chair that hadn't been behind her till that moment.

"How did I get here? I was just…"

"You called to me, and I answered. However I do not have the means to materialize in your world. So I brought you here." He answered smoothly.

"That means you're my familiar? But if you can't come to my world…" Familiar huh? So it was THAT kind of magical society? This just kept getting easier and easier didn't it? "How can I prove that you answered my call? How can I complete the ceremony?"

"Simple, we make a deal. I am a great and powerful spirit of knowledge and magic without a body. You are a student desiring a powerful and knowledgeable familiar. I think we can make something work."

That got the girl's attention. Though she seemed cautious, it was obvious that her desperation and eagerness was quickly overpowering said caution. It was also clear that this was way out of her comfort zone. Judging by her worry about this ceremony, this wasn't exactly how things were done. Too bad.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked.

"How about this, You will have access to my vast knowledge to peruse at your leisure, and have my power at your beck and call. In exchange I get to live in your head, feel through your senses, and at times act through your body to bring my considerable might to bear."

"How does that prove to others that I have a familiar?"

"When I act through another's body they display very telling traits. Also my voice is quite distinct."

The noble girl took her time sipping from her tea as she thought over the deal. However Bill already knew her answer. The carrot was far too tempting after all.

"I will accept your terms." Yes! "I'd just like to make one change." GRR!

"What change is that?" He asked keeping frustration out of his voice with the ease of practice.

" As my familiar, you can only act through my body with my permission." That was doable. ANNOYING, but doable.

"I can accept that term." He conceded than extended his hand. "So then, do we have a deal?" His hand lit ablaze with magical blue fire.

The girl looked at the extended appendage with a mix of confusion, awe, and a dash of fear. Then she visibly collected her courage and grasped his hand. "We have a deal."

Bill Cipher loved with a plan came together.


	2. Deal Exploited

Louise Françoise le Blanc de La Vallière didn't have any complaints about her new familiar. He was quite helpful, and she was fascinated by what having him in her head allowed her to do. The best of which had to be her mindscape. Being able to enter her own mind and review any little bit of information she knew was a founder send, and that was BEFORE her servant added his own knowledge. That had turned what had once been a cozy study into a sprawling library.

She spent more than a few quiet afternoons just looking over the contents of her new inner library. Many of the subjects sounded esoteric. Space travel? Religions that weren't true? History that never happened? Sounded like nonsense. However other things like chemistry and engineering? Those had some foundation. It helped that she could "read" any book in the library with a simple touch, and there was just so much to read.

However that wasn't all that the mindscape had allowed her to do. It had also revealed to her something special. The answer to her failure. It revealed her affinity. It turned out that she had been a void mage. The giant floating ball of black nothingness in the center of her study/library kinda gave that away. Normally would have tried to deny such a thing, but well when the evidence is literally in front of your face, you can't.

That could have been a slight problem. However once again her familiar stepped in to help her out. He claimed that his own powers were similar to that of the void. So he would simply just take the element off of her hands, and in return he would use of that new power to strengthen her overshadowed second element. She of course agreed. This meant she wouldn't have the interference of the lost element messing with her spells. It also meant that she didn't have to try and learn how to use an element no one knew how to use, as well as the possible heretical fall out.

So the ball of void was absorbed by her servant, and in its place the tiny gust that had been her wind affinity was turned into a mighty Maelstrom. The effects this had had on her schoolwork was quickly noticed. No longer did every spell end with an explosive failure. Now she could do everything with flair.

Oh sure there was still plenty of muttering and rumor-mongering happening behind her back. However she was no longer the Zero, and that was all that mattered.

There were of course other perks as well.

For one, laundry was a thing of the past. Her familiar could literally pull the dirt, sweat, and even stains out of her clothes and cast them aside.

For another, her servant was quite capable of dealing with annoyances. Like when Guiche wouldn't stop opening his big mouth so her servant created a small bug to fly right into the pompous blonde's throat. That had been amusing to watch.

There was just one little problem with all this. Only two people had met her familiar, let alone knew that she HAD summoned anything.

The first was old man Osmond the Academy's headmaster. She had told him shortly after the deal had been made. Turns out that to the outside world it had looked like Louise had knocked herself out with her own spell with nothing to show for it. She had of course explained the situation, and had let her Familiar introduce itself.

The second was Princess Henrietta. Her childhood friend had apparently decided to sneak Louise's room last night in order to meet up. It had been a bit embarrassing, but also heartwarming all the same. She had told her friend everything, and even had her familiar formally introduce itself. It might have been a hard story to believe, but Louise was a noble that held her duty to the crown seriously. One day her friend would become queen, and when that happened Louise wanted to make sure that her friend knew what Louise was capable of so that she could call upon her when needed.

This however meant that the vast majority of the school still believed that she was familiarless. Now that wasn't truly their fault. She HAD been holding her familiar back. Mostly for one reason. Without a body of its own, people would know of her familiar's existence if she let it control her body. To do that with every person would be tiresome. So she needed to do it in a way that as many people as possible could witness it. Which is why, despite all the heckling and murmurs, she held her familiar back till today. The day of the familiar exhibition.

Today was the day that the second year students would get to show off the ones they had summoned. Pull off some grand display before a panel of judges to see just who had summoned the best. A panel of judges that happened to include the crown princess. So of course Louise had asked her familiar to pull out all the stops. It had eagerly agreed to do so. It had just the trick. Something so grand that no one would ever forget it.

So Louise waited her turn. A few of the acts preceding her own were indeed impressive, but she had faith in the spirit she had summoned. After all she knew it held far more power than any of the others possibly could. Even the dragon.

When her name was called Louise took the stage with all the presence and confidence befitting a Valliere. "Ladies, Gentlemen, my fellow students, and of course the princess. My familiar needs no introduction but for the one it makes for itself. Enjoy the show." She proclaimed with a smile. Then she mentally stepped back and gave her servant permission to take over for the duration of their exhibition.

When she was once more in the library that was her mind she began to relax. She had already been warned that her familiar's trick had a bit of preparation to it so she could take a bit of time to study one of the many subjects available to her while she waited for the show to really start.

Now was she more interested in improbable biology or chemistry of reality?

Before she could make her life changing choice, it was made for her. She felt a tug. A gentle one to be sure, but a tug all the same. It would appear that her subconscious had its own preference. Well there was nothing wrong with that. So she let herself be pulled through the library to the location her subconscious wished her to be, and found herself looking at red spine of what appeared to be a beaten up journal. Near the bottom of the spine was a golden hand with six fingers. At the center of the hand was a black triangle. Quite odd to be sure. Her mind did have a way of finding the most interesting of subjects.

She brushed her fingers along the aged spine, and opened up her mind to its contents.

She witnessed a prophecy.

She watched a rise.

She watched a fall.

She witnessed her familiar and all his cruelty and sadism.

He had unleashed wierdmageddon, but had been stopped. Now he had just been handed the chance to do it again.

That was when she felt it. Dragging her mind away from the revelation. A great flux of willpower that heralded a great spell. She turned her gaze back to the outside world in time to see a large door like rift be torn into the fabric of time and space. She heard her familiar laugh as its friends pured from the rift. Wierdmageddon had been unleashed upon her home. That would NOT do.

"Familiar! Get back in here!" she demanded as she stomped her way back to the center of the library.

"Sorry master. You said I had control until the exhibition was over, and it Ain't over." The selfish cur LAUGHED as it attempted to flaunt its control. Tried to disobey her.

"I said," she snarled as she grabbed the insolent whelp by its metaphorical collar "Get back in here!" than she revoked her permission.

The yellow bastard actually looked confused and a bit panicked as it found itself back in her mindscape. "What!? But how?!"

She glared at it as she planted her first on her hips. "As my familiar, you can only act through my body with my permission. Permission you no longer have."

"Well then" her familiar growled as it began to grow. The mindscape began to warp and twist as the dishonorable cur started spreading its influence. "I'll just have to make you give it back to me then."

Louise could tell she was in trouble. This demon was entrenched in her mind, and had access to powerful energies. It was far more experienced than her when it came to this kind of fighting. However this wasn't just any demon. This was her FAMILIAR, and it had already made a grievous error.

Her eyes widened as she watched it gather energy in its hands before firing it in a beam. She dove out of the way grabbing something something in mid-air before rolling clear of a second beam. A sudden course refusal saved her from a third. She then gathered her own magic and hit unleashed a heavy wind to blind the demon long enough to stand up on her own feet again.

The demon had one glaring weakness. One it didn't even seem to know it had. Probably because it had never been truly exploited before.

"Clever, but you can't dodge forever. You luck WILL run out eventually."

However she found that weakness, and was going to exploit it ruthlessly. After all…

"I don't need luck." She declared as she held up a small model of her servant clenched in her left hand. "I only need you."

Her familiar ALWAYS upheld his side of the bargain.

"What? I'm not helping you!" It really needed her to spell things out didn't it?

"Your vast knowledge is mine to peruse at my leisure. Including the knowledge of what you will do next." She smiled viciously as it sputtered. She could FEEL its incredulity. "Yes that's how it works. It's all in the wording. No I won't. No you can't call the deal off because all parties are still getting everything they wanted in terms of the deal we made." She responded before her familiar could even talk back.

"FINE!" It shouted as it grew even larger. It gathered even more energy in its hands as the mindscape twisted and warped further. Flames spread all around them, and closed in around Louise. "Let's see you dodge when there is nowhere for you to go!" It still didn't understand. For a spirit of knowledge it was quite stupid wasn't it? Time for another reminder.

She held up right hand, and a small black ball appeared there. "Your power is at my beck and call. Including the power I gave you." Drawing from her new insight she sent a command to the ball in her hand. The ball sent out a single pulse, and as that pulse washed over everything in her mindscape it all returned to normal.

"What? No! No no no no no no NOOOOO!" Her servant screamed in panic and despair. "Not again! I can't lose everything again! I'm so CLOSE!"

"Then beg forgiveness from you master, and she might just overlook your treachery and grant you a boon for your previous service." Louise stated simply. Her hands on her hips once more.

"What? Why would you do that?"

"A noble is charged with looking out for those beneath them. A master must look out for their servants." She replied with the passion of a true noble that embraced their responsibilities. "Besides you aren't just those things. You are my FAMILIAR. You aren't just a servant. You a representative of my affinity. An extension of my very will. I have every reason to look after your interests as well. Especially for everything you have done, and all that you can do."

"And what can you possibly do? How can you help me?" It retorted heatedly.

"You remember that I have the ear of the crown princess right? The future queen of the country? A princess that already promised to do everything in her own power to help me in anyway she could? I'm sure that if I took over the world changing event, and turned the group of super-powered creatures to my side, followed by turning all of that towards her enemies, she would be willing to give us some lands. Lands that we could turn to any purpose. In fact even if she doesn't let us take over the neighboring countries, there IS an ancestral enemy to all humans I'm sure she could let us have the lands of. Failing that, there are bound to be untouched land outside of the known kingdoms. We could explore them. Maybe give some of it to Tristain. But I'm sure we could turn vast swathes of it to do with as you will."

"That could work." It conceded. "I can't speak for the others though. I might have been calling most of the shots, but that is no guarantee that they will follow."

"You let ME worry about that. Just give me your complete loyalty, and I will do everything I can to make sure you and your friends have what you desire." She offered as she extended a hand wreathed in pink flames. "Deal?"

Her familiar looked at the extended appendage with a mixture of confusion, awe, and a dash of fear. Its one eye then stared into her own as if searching for something. Then it spoke, "Only for your own lifetime. I'm not becoming some kind of family pet."

"That's how long any familiar's bond lasts. Until either master or servant have died. No longer. No shorter."

Her familiar nodded looking a little more pleased. Then it extended its own hand wreathed in blue flames. "Then we have a deal."


	3. Deal Finalized

She was the queen of a lonely island. The sole remaining royal that still lay claim to her crown. She was Henrietta. Queen of Tristan. The last bastion of order within the chaotic world that was Halkeginia.

It hadn't always been that way. In fact the world's descent into madness had started quite slowly.

First the demons had laid siege to the elves.

Then she had asked aid from them, with a rebellion that had overtaken Albion.

The king of Germania thought to use his marriage to her to try and order the demons to do his own bidding.

Months later a former classmate of her childhood friend brought news to her about treachery in Gallia.

To top it all off, His Holiness the Pope himself lead a crusade against the demons for all they had done.

In the end the Pope, the kings of Gallia and Germania, and the leader of the Albion rebellion became mere decorations. New human shaped gargoyles that now stood upon the Fearamid, the home base for the demons, that could usually be found floating in the heart of what was once the Elven holyland.

All around her tiny country, the world had fallen into a form of controlled chaos. Powerful rulers fell to forces well beyond their imagining. Their resources twisted and taken. Their people dead, enslaved, or worse. Yet Tristan wasn't just surviving. It was thriving. New exotic materials were available at markets. Unimagined creatures were now available as pets, familiars, and even food sources. Weapons and armor well beyond that of normal smiths and even noble mage-smiths were bought, sold, and produced.

And all this happened when the Demons were still content with staying in Halkeginia. Before they used the same methods they had used to arrive to leave and start to spread their influence to other universes. Bringing back even more with them when they inevitably returned.

However, why did they keep returning? Why was Tristan not only standing, but treated like a favored ally? The answers were simple. When the Queen was still a princess an empress rose to power, and the princess made a deal.

It hadn't seemed like much at the time. Both sides had been quite shrewd, but when compared to the sheer power that Louise had shown while making the demonic beings bow before her… it was a rather anticlimactic end. A very relieving end of course, but anticlimactic all the same.

That same deal had been expanding, changed, and agreed to many times over the years. The demonic empire stretched out its talons and grabbed all before it. Feeding its hunger for entertainment. Behind it Tristan slowly grew. It's borders expanding as nobles and commoners alike took up arms, and explored familiar lands twisted into unfamiliar wilds.

Over the years metal and glass became more common. Firearms started overshadowing blades as the weapon of choice. Even magic changed. With the introduction of new dimensions and slaves came varying ways to call upon one's willpower. Some of those ways were achievable even by previously magicless commoners. The world changed all around them, and Henrietta made sure that her kingdom changed with it.

However it was a seemingly never ending job to keep everything in one piece. To keep all the gears spinning.

It wasn't that she feared for her position. She still had the love of her people, and had grown in power herself in embracing many of the changes to her lands and how they were run.

However that didn't mean there weren't idiots amongst her subjects, or even in her own court. Fools who would take the smallest of opportunities to doom themselves and many others. Just today she received half a dozen requests and pleas to claim lands ruled by the demons since they were currently elsewhere. Not taking into account that the demons were gone because they were CONQUERING another dimension at the moment. She knew how great their wrath would be if she betrayed them at this moment. Especially Louise who despite her rise as an empress stayed her close and dear friend.

Oh how she wished Louise was here now. Typically she would show up as Henrietta was wrapping up her audience with the people for the day. Much like she was doing now. Henrietta knew it was common for Louise to be gone for days, weeks, even a couple of months while she was off spreading her influence and chaos. However, now it was getting close to a…

Between one blink and the next a table appeared before her throne. Another blink and a pot of steaming tea next to a chessboard with pieces ready for play sat upon it. The queen smiled to herself as arms reached around her throne to hug her from behind. "It's been almost a year Louise. I was starting to get worried."

"Yeah, I was a bit too curious about this latest conquest. That and Bill REALLY wanted to take his time with this one. I normally would have reigned him in, but he has been on his best behavior recently." Her friend explained as she slid around the throne without releasing the hug, or taking a step. The hug lasted a few seconds more before the demon empress pulled back. "I'm here now though. So, tea?"

Henrietta nodded with an affectionate smile as she took in her friend's appearance. He friend hadn't aged a day over all these decades. Though her appearance had still changed. Her hair literally flowed and moved seemingly at its on accord reaching out for pot and cups in order to serve tea. The girls eyes glowed pink and shined with mirth as she took her seat opposite the queen. Her yellow and black dress flowed easily as she sat upon the air itself.

Henrietta accepted her cup with one hand as she made her opening move with the other. "So where did you go this time?"

"Oh, just a little town in the middle of nowhere." Louise replied as she moved her own piece with a strand of hair as she 'reclined' in her seat, holding a cup and saucer in her hands with a broad toothy smile on her lips. "An odd little place called Gravity Falls."


End file.
